Device for hanging pictures



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

J. B. SWORD. DEVICE FOR HANGING PICTURES.

No. 394,144. Patented Deo. 4, 1888.

n, PETERS. Phmn-Linwgmphcf. wminman. DSC.

{ (N0 Model.) 2 sheets-Sheet 2.

J. B. SWORD.

DEVICE EOE HANGING PICTURES. Y No. @4.144. Y PatentedDec. 4, 1888.

N PETERS. Pholmmmplm, wnhingwmnc,

UNiTnn STATES PATENT Denton.

JAMES B. SVORD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR HANGING PICTURES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,144, dated December 4, 1888.

Application tiled May 28, 1888.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES B. Swonn, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Devices for Hanging Pictures, of which the following is a specitieation.

One object of my invention is to construct devices by which pictures and frames can be secured to the walls of galleries and other rooms without the use of wood-work, and a further object is to prevent the det'acing of the wall as much as possible by inserting the hanger-bars in the wall .tlush with the iinished wall, my invention being intended mainly .for use in fire-proof structures in which wood-work is dispensed with.

In the accompanying drawings, Iiigure l is a perspective view of the side wall of a room,

showingmy improved picture-hanger. Fig. Q

is a sectioi'lal view also illustrating my invention. Fig. 3 is a sectional, perspective view I ceive at any point, irrespective of line, the

.nails or hooks from which the pictures are hung, as, owing to the various sizes of the pictures and their arrangement on the walls, no permanenthangers on the walls can be employed it' the entire wall space is to be oecupied. In some galleries a permanent bar or rib is used tor hanging each row of pictures; but this plan is objectionable because oi' the ribs extending beyond the face of the wall, and because the pictures can only be hung on certain lines. In private parlors and small galleries itis common to secure to the wall near the ceiling,` a bar, and to suspend the pictures from this bar by means of cords or wires. The wires, however, are unsightly and Serial No. 275,279. (No model.)

the pictures cannot be hung one above another as readily as is desirable.

In carrying out my invention, I provide for hanging pictures of any size in any desired position on the wall, and this without destroyingl or marx-ing the wall-covering or forming unsightly ribs or project-ions on the wall.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the wall of the buildin g constructed of brick or stone. 'lo this wall are fastened the channelbars B B, in parallel lines, these bars preferably extending the length ot' the room, and being rectangular in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 3, each bar having aback plate, a, top and bottom webs, u', and tlangesh I), thus forming an inclosed chamber, d, with a narrow mouth, e. The bars B are secured directly to the brick wall in new I )uildings prior to the application of the plastering, and in old Ijmildings sufficient of the plastering is removed to allow the bars to be inserted. The bars are secured in the present instance by means of screws f,whieh enter wooden or lead plugs g, driven into suitable orifices in the walls. The screws may be inserted either from the inside of the chamber d, as shown in Fig. 3; or, when the bar is made in the form shown in Fig. 9, they maybe inserted'through the flanges on the outside; or, if the bar is made in cylindrical form, as shown in Fig. 10, it may be held in position by the use oi ordinary clamping-spikes,f, which partially surround the tubular bar, as shown. The bars B are preferably made of the same depth as the plastering on the wall, so that when the plaster is applied, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the tlanges l) b of the bar will be I'lush with the surface of the plaster, and if the wall is afterward painted or papcred the only breaks in the continuity of the wall-surface will be the narrow slots e, which, if desired, may be closed by beads or strips ttf-such, for instance, shown in Fig. llt-these beads having a slightly-projecting rounded surface, which does not detract from the neat appearance of the wall.

To the chamber d of each bar B are adapted blocks D, of the form shown in Fig. JL, these blocks being preferably of such width as to be inserted through the slots c when held in the atwise position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4, and being then turned at right angles, as shown by full lines, so as to be retained in the chamber d.

The blocks are provided with eyes 71, to which a vertical carrying-rod, E, Fig. 7, may be adapted, the rod being passed through the eyes of blocks in upper and lower bars, B, and a head, z', on the rod resting upon the upper eye, as shown in Fig. 2.

Near the base of the wall is a ledge, :11, extending the length of the gallery, and on which the lowest line of pictures rests. In Fig. 2 a picture, F, is shown as resting upon this ledge, this picture having' an eye which receives a vertical rod, E, the lower end of which rests upon the ledge x, the rod also passing through the eye h of a block, D, in the first channel-bar above the ledge. Above this picture F is a larger picture, F; and in order to prevent the weight of this larger picture from coming directly upon the smaller picture I suspend from one of the blocks D of the second channel-bar above the ledge a hooked rest, H, to which a chain, Il', is attached through the medium of `a screw-bolt, j, the chain being provided at its upper end with a hook, j', which engages with the eye 7L of the block D, so that if one of these supporting-hooks is placed on each side of the center of the picture, and the eye on the picture is adapted to the second rod E, the weight of the picture will be taken by the bars B, through the medium of the blocks and chains.

Other pictures can be supported upon this picture F', as shown, for instance, in Fig. 2. Thus, the picture F2 is hung to the second rod E by a double hook, G, Fig. 5, one hook passing around the bar E, while the other passes through the eye in the back of the picture. The uppermost picture, F3, is tilted forward, and is connected to the rod E through the medium of the hook G and a chain, G', (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5,) so as to give the proper forward pitch to the picture.

The pictures can be readily taken down by merely releasing the hooks G from the rods, and the rods can be removed vertically from the eyes of the block D; but where the upper bar is very near the ceiling, as shown in Fig. l, the rod can be raised, so as to clear the lower eye, and then the block, with its rod, can be turned to a position at right angles and removed from the bar.

Instead of using the channel-bar B shown in Figs. l and 2, a space may be left in the brick or stone wall, or may be cut therein, as shown in Fig. 11, and metallic plates B secured to the wall, forming suitable chambers, d', into which the blocks may be inserted, and in some cases, where it is necessary to have a block with considerable bearing, and one that cannot be removed by merely turningv the block at right angles, I form openings c in the channel-bar at intervals, as shown in Fig. 12, so that by merely sliding the block to these openings it can be removed. Then a single picture is to be hung from the bar, the vertical rod may be dispensed with and the block D shown in Fig. 6 employed, this block having a hook, h, from which the picture can be suspended. The base of the hook being below the pivot-line of the block prevents the block from turning.

In some instances, where it is desirable to suspend the picture wholly from the rod, and not support one picture above another, I use a toothed rod, E', as shown in Fig. 13, this rod having a sliding hook, h2, adapted to engage the teeth of the rod, so that the picture can be suspended at any point desired. I have shown in this instance a flat rod, and it will be understood that I do not confine my self to any particular form of rod; and if articles of light weight are to be hung upon the rod E for exhibition a double-ended hook, g', may slide upon the rod, and a rubber collar, g2, maybe inserted under the hook to support it in any position required--as shown, for instance, by dotted lines in Fig. 7.

Vhen my improved hangers are used in the parlor of a house, the paper-han gin gs upon the wall may completely cover the bars and their slots, and when a picture is to be hung, the desired position being determined, an opening can be made through the paper and the block D inserted into the bar.

Metallic picture rails orbars, provided with a groove for holding headed hooks and secured by screws or nails to the face of the wall, have been used for hanging pictures. The advantages of my invention over this construction are that the channel-bar does not mar the appearance of the wall, it does not interfere with the hanging of the picture in any desired position or close to the face of the wall, as is the case where projecting bars are used, and it allows the weight of the picture to be taken directly by the wall itself, thereby making a safer and stronger support.

I claim as my inventiony l. The combination, with a wall, of the slotted channel therein flush with the face of the finished wall and having a contracted mouth, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a wall, of a channel-bar secured therein, having a longitudinal chamber with contracted mouth adapted to receive a hanging block, the face of said channel-bar being flush with the finished wall, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the wall having two or more slotted channels, one above another, and blocks adapted to said channels and having projecting hooks or eyes, with a vertical rod adapted to said hooks or eyes, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the wall having a slotted channel, an eyed block therein, with a vertical rod adapted to said eyed block and to a picture-frame, with a block carrying a hooked rest for said picture-frame, substan tially as specied.

IOO

IIO

5. The Combination of the Wall having two In testmonywheleoflhave signedmynalne o1' more slotted channels, one above another, to this specioation in thopresonoe of two Snb- 1o and blocks adapted to Said channels, and scribing witnesses. having' @vos with a Vertical rod adapted to v f 'Ji -INX x 5 sind eyes and hzwlng notohes,w1th the Sus- T x [Fb 1 b" ORD pension-hook having a portion adapted to VitnesSes: slide on the rod and engage With the notches VILLIAM D. CONNER, i of the saule, all substantially as specified. HARRY SMITH. 

